Ibelieve that we are born with a natural tendency to doubt. When I was ve, my parents arranged a family day at the beach. My cousins and sisters found their way into the water quite comfortably. I didn’t know how to swim, so I played with sand on the shore. I felt safe sitting in the sand, bathed in sun- screen, building my sand castle.
As I put the nishing touches on my masterpiece, an uncle interrupted my play with a question: “Do you know how to swim?” I looked up, trying to avoid the rays of the sun, and replied, “No.” He picked me up in his strong arms and, in spite of my resistance, assured me that he would not let me drown. I didn’t have much of a choice. He held my right hand with his left and wrapped his right arm around my body securely. My fear of the deep and my fear of drowning soon dissipated as he held me close and allowed me to hang on.
Abraham is up in years; he wants to secure a wife and family for his son Isaac. He sends his trusted servant to seek a wife for Isaac. In the verses that immediately precede today’s passage, Abraham’s servant has met a lovely young woman at the well, a woman who offers him the hospitality of a drink of water and a place to stay for him and his animals. He “gazed at her in silence to learn whether or not the lOrD had made his journey successful.” Perceiving the enormity of the task before him, the servant will not eat until he tells of his errand. Trusting that God will guide him in order to accomplish what his master has asked of him, he commits his way to the Lord, trusts him, and knows he will act. (See Psalm 37:5.) May we be so obedient and discerning.